Marines work to win over hearts and minds in Afghanistan
Troops from Camp Pendleton navigate a murky and complex battlefield in Helmand Province. Determining friend from foe, keeping the enemy on the run, and mastering the intricacies of unfamiliar cultures and terrain is difficult but essential, as they forge alliances and work to marginalize the insurgents. Ref. Source 3
Shuras help bridge divide between Marines and Afghans
Essentially town hall meetings, the shuras are where grievances are aired and projects organized. They've become regular events as troops from Camp Pendleton seek common ground with Afghan community leaders. Ref. Source 8
Nato urged to allow partition of Afghanistan:
Afghanistan should be allowed to partition along ethnic lines by pulling back Nato forces and acknowledging that the Taliban will not be defeated in their heartland, a senior former American national security adviser has warned. Ref. Source 4
Suicide bomb kills 6 Afghans including vice-governor :
A suicide bomber on a motorised rickshaw killed the deputy governor of Afghanistan's Ghazni province and five others on Tuesday, the area's police chief said, the latest assassination of a government official. Ref. Source 6
1st US Soldier of Alleged "Kill Team" Targeting Afghan Civilians Faces Military Tribunal for War Crimes
Army Specialist Jeremy Morlock is the first of twelve US soldiers accused of forming a secret "kill team" in Afghanistan that murdered unarmed Afghan civilians at random and collected body parts, such as fingers, for trophies. They are also accused of using hashish, dismembering and photographing corpses, and possessing human bones such as a skull and leg bones. The Army is attempting to prevent the release of dozens of photographs that reportedly show Morlock and other soldiers posing with the murdered Afghan civilians. Ref. Source 3
Robert Gates: 'We're Not Ever Leaving' Afghanistan
By Marcus Baram
In a shocking indication of a split between the White House and the Pentagon over the war in Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert Gates believes that the U.S. Military will never leave the war-torn country. Ref. Source 7